Oh, the irony

Irony, hell. I'm PISSED.

(Sorry about the length...I'm too stoopid to figure out the 'extended entry' thing.)

From today's issue of the

PJ Star

:

HAVANA - A $6.4 million renovation and expansion will help Mason District Hospital officials realize their vision for patient care, hospital CEO Harry Wolin said Wednesday.
The hospital's board recently approved a project that will replace all inpatient rooms and overhaul the outpatient therapy and rehabilitation areas.

"Other communities don't necessarily have this level of care in a rural area," Wolin said. "We work hard to by worthy of continuing that role."

The hospital plans to complete the entire project without raising local property taxes. Wolin said the hospital board plans to issue 20-year bonds to pay for the work.

The state recently released $300,000 in Illinois FIRST money for the project, and private contributions are expected to contribute to the total funding package.

"These exciting improvements will enable the physicians to meet the changing needs of outpatient and inpatient care right here in the local community," said Dr. Rick Wagoner, Mason District medical staff president. "It's a very positive step for patients, medical staff, the hospital and everyone who lives and works in the area."

Wolin said the hospital was built in 1957 with 18 inpatient rooms. A new inpatient area will be built to the north of the hospital's emergency department.

The new wing will have 12 inpatient rooms with a total of 20 beds. The new rooms will have private showers, which the current rooms lack, and the latest in wireless technology for staff, Wolin said.

The old inpatient area will be converted into administrative office space.

The hospital's physical therapy, occupational therapy and cardiac rehabilitation area will be expanded.

"Over the years, we've seen significant growth in our outpatient services," Wolin said. More space and new equipment will improve the outpatient services the hospital can provide, he said.

Other upgrades will include renovation and modernization of the emergency department, an expanded hospital pharmacy and a new main entrance and lobby area.

Construction could begin within a couple of months, and Wolin said the project will take about 2 1/2 years to complete.

Mason District Hospital employs 210 staff members who see about 500 inpatients annually, Wolin said.

Now, this probably won't be of much interest to those not from the area. But it's my hometown. MDH is where I began my nursing career. I worked with people I'd gone to grade school and high school with. I had patients whom I'd known all my life. I've been a patient there. My parents were patients there. It's home.

While I worked there, I went to college on a full scholarship provided by their foundation. They paid for everything. Tuition. Books. Even a monthly stipend. All I had to do was guarantee I'd stay there a year after school. I stayed 11.

MDH is a complete, full-service hospital. It's just reeeeally small.
They've kept up with technology at an incredible rate...we had 'computer charting' long before most of the big hospitals here in Peoria ever thought about implementing a system.

And a part of me is happy for 'em. Really. For a tiny, rural, independant hospital to even still be alive today and not be swallowed up by one of the 'mega hospitals'...well..it's pretty amazing.

As one who's been on both the giving AND receiving ends of their medical care, beginning when I was 6 years old, I can say without hesitation that the level of care at MDH FAR outweighs that of any other place I've ever worked or been a patient. And I've worked in some of the 'best'. The very fact that it's so small is one of the factors, of course. But the whole thing is...they're taking care of their own. Their own friends, neighbors, relatives. It's a small town...4,000 or so...so if you're not related, you KNOW the people...and most of the time, you know 'em well.

Oh, of course, there were times I was frustrated over one issue or another while I worked there. But I can honestly say that if I wouldn't have moved away, I'd still be there. I'd have retired from there. It's the one (and only) nursing job that I truly liked.

However......(here I go)...

I was talking to an old friend (who shall remain nameless because she still works there) not too awfully long ago. We always talk about what's goin on there...what's the gossip...how the job is goin...playin 'catch-up', ya know? And she proceeded to tell me that Mr. Big Pants (the CEO) felt that they should cut the amount of nurses in her particular area (which also shall remain nameless). Now, it's not like this particular area is, in any way, an 'ancillary' area. It's direct patient care. Hands on.

Mmmmm...ok. We're touting this big 'expansion'. We're doin all this building and growing...but we wanna cut staff. Duh.

Does that make sense....TO ANYONE? Of course it doesn't. At least it doesn't to the people that actually TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS, WHICH IS WHAT A FUCKING HOSPITAL IS FOR IN THE FIRST DAMN PLACE. I'm sure it makes perfect sense to Mr. Big Pants, though. As it does to all the other Mr. Big Pants' in all the other hospitals. He's an 'administrator'...a talking head. In other words, he's completely clueless as to what a hospital actually DOES. What a hospital is actually FOR.

He's not in the business of 'patient care'. He's in the business of makin a buck. Plain and simple. Period.

Build bigger and better. Obtain the most cutting-edge technology. Hire the very BEST PR people and spend BIG bucks advertising. Pay the talking heads in management, who have absolutely NO CLUE as to what a hospital actually DOES, astronomical amounts of money. Build lavish, comfortable LOBBIES that cost thousands of dollars.

I don't know about YOU, but if I'm havin a heart attack, I could give a shit as to what the friggin LOBBY looks like. Just take good care of me.

Get those patients IN...then get 'em OUT...as fast as possible. Still sick? No matter. Just keep 'em alive long enough to discharge 'em. If they have to come back, well...that's another admission...more bucks. Just make sure they're HAPPY while they're here because, after all, we WANT that return visit. We WANT them to recommend us to their friends. Cater to 'em. Valet service. Menu service. Be all things to all patients.

Then cut nursing staff...cut THE most basic thing that the people are there for in the first place. Make them take more patients...sicker patients. Force them into overtime and double shifts to take up the slack because even paying overtime is cheaper than actually hiring another body.
Then give a lotta lip service to the terrible state of the 'nursing shortage'.

My ass.

Ya know, Ziggy and I have talked a lot about his job, which has absolutely NOTHING to do with healthcare. It's a factory. But it's run the same, damn way. They do all these stupid things that cost thousands and thousands of bucks, but they refuse to put any money in the decrepit, old equipment that actually MAKES the product in the first damn place OR in the laborers who know how to use said equipment.

What the hell kind of 'business' are they teaching in business school?
Maybe I'm just stupid, but that type of business model makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Am I the only one that sees the ridiculous irony in this?

Do I sound bitter? It's sad. I didn't used to be. I used to be this idealistic, young woman who thought she was actually doing something to help people, getting a chance to work with all her friends and neighbors...and gettin paid a decent amount of money to do that.

But you can betcher ass I'm bitter now. I'm so bitter that I'm no longer a nurse. A bitter, angry nurse is not a good nurse.